I used to feel the same way, and in a sense I still do. When I joined SteemIt in October of 2016, things were different. You didn't need to use bots. If you put out great content, you got recognized accordingly, for the most part.
Unfortunately, things have changed drastically, and it's simply not enough to put out good content. If you are a new user, or even a pro, for that matter, if you want any recoginition at all (which you deserve if you put out good content), then you need to use bots.
Sad. For example I have here one comment with 51 voted worth of...2.8usd. one can get dissatisfied and quit very soon. Luckily I am here only for the fun of it, but "something" is definitely wrong here....
I agree. I'm here for the fun of it, too, but when you work on a piece for 3 hours and make less than $1 and then someone else comes along and reposts a meme they found on Facebook and makes $300, it gets a little less fun.
Soo true. Upvoted you brother!
I disagree. You can form relationships on the chat of others post. (like this one) People see that you are a real user and like reading your comments so they go to your blog and see your content. they than follow you and upvote your posts. This is a slower way to grow but it is more sustainable.